The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-10-27

of rural life to the exciting influences andl multi
pied temptations of city and village.
4, Inc extent Of this movement Of our population
y presented IN striking light by comparison OF
the census figures Of several decimal periods. In
lI9O but little over per cent of people dwelt
In cities Of over 5000 population. Even as late
as 1880 the percentage Of city population had in
creased 10 only 81 per cent. But in 1870 almost
* per cent, and in 1880 about 20 per cent. of our
people resided in cities of over 1900 population,
lagos.
Then in addition to the striking changes wrought
IN the character of our native population by this
transfer OF population from rural TO urban life,
there have been changes in the whole body Of our
people, even more deteriOrating wrought by immi-
grafton since 1910. In the two decades prior 10
lo4O only.A70OO0O immigrants landed on our
shores. Immigration then began to increase, and
IN 1900 pc per cent OF our population was of for
eign birth. Since $50 immigration has increased
so rapidly that in 1880 nearly ii per cent of our
population was Of foreign birth. and 21 per cent
were OF foreign parentage. Within the last ten
months over half million of immigrants have
landed on our shores, and the ratio of our popua-
ton of foreign birth or foreign parentage has in
creased TO nearly 80 per cent
so long as this immigration was made up of
sober, industrious Englishmen. Frenchmen, Irish
men, GernanS and ScandlnayianS, who came to
TINS country TO make for themselves home and
ADOPT American modes Of thought and life, we
mad little dihiculty in assmilating those who
landed on our shores. Bnt within the last 25
GEARS the quality OF immigrants has sadly de-
Perforated, until now large proportion of those
VINO come 10 US are theldregs OF Europe. Poles BO-
hemians. Italian Lazaroni, Hungarians and Eng
| fish and Swiss paupers and criminals sent to our
country by official aid, and German and Russian
socialists, anarchists and enemies of society;
While the time has come to extend and
strengthen legislation already inaugurated, look
ing TO the turning away of the undesirable ele-
meDts which are coming to our shores with no
thought Of becoming industrious American citi-
zens and TO the protection of the exposed and
thonghtless against panderers TO vice; yet all that
can be done in this direction will be of little avail
| against the combined Influences of immigration
and concentration Of population in cities. unless
| these can be met with the same missionary spirit
| that animated Paul and the early disciples, and
| the same aggressive missionary agencies that
carried the Gospel through Asia Minor and
| Southern Europe in the days OF primitive Chris
| tianity.
A few years ago | stood on Mars Hill, almost
| under the shadow of the ruins Of the ParthenOn
| and of the Grecian temples, where Paganism was
| intrenched when Paul appeared as Christian
| missionary TO preach the Gospel OF Christ As
| surveyed the ruins OF Paganl Greece and Rome,
and recalled the fact that the change TO Christian
| civilization was wrought by the aggressive mis-
sionary labors of earnest Chistian men, who went
| forth seeking the lost could but feel that the
same Gospel carried with the same missionary
| spirit and faith to the multitudes who are now
outside OF direct Christian influences, would pro-
duce the same results as that experienced In the
| early days of Christianity.
There are times when the thoughtful statesman
looks into the future of our country with fear and
| trembling as he eOutempates the dangerous
elements gathering IN our great cities But there
| Is one remedial solvent, and only One-and that
the Gospel-which can change these hostile ele-
| m enIs into friends, and one leader, and he the
Savior of men, who can safely lead our nation in
| to paths of security.
| lii the dark hours of our late civil war eompa-
| ny of clergymen waited on Abraham Lincoln and
expressed to him their sollcitude for the Nations
| safety, and their fear that God was not on our
side. Gentlemen" replied the grand President,
| 81 am not troubled at all by that fear: what L
| have been fearing is that we may not be on GODS
| side"
Christian citizens and patriots, let us not fear
that the Gospel OF Christ Is not sufficient TO save
| our country further dangers which threaten us.
| Let us rather fear that we shall not avail our
| selves of the mighty converting and saving power
| OF that gospel when carried by missionary agen-
| cies into the most forbidden quarters OF misery
| and vice.
The congregation then sung the hymyn,
"Oh for thousand tongues to say, and
| then tire chairman Introduced Yon Phou
Lee, a Chinese graduate of Yale College,
who:addressed the audience as follows:
Yam Phou Lees Address.
Not few of the better class of Americans are
| in doubt whether it is worth while to send mis-
siOnaries to the Chinese. Their hesitancy In ac-
knowledging the claims of the Chinese residents
in the United States on their sympathy and bene-
violence may be traced to the elevation Of certain
sand lot demagogues to be directors Of the public
policy and the promotion Of these men to be the
only reliable bureau Of information concerning
| that much oppressed people.
The Hon. Frank Pixley of San Francisco gave
expression to this doubt in his testimony before
the Congressional committee, sent out to investi-
| gate OulutSc Immigration III 1910 W
he didn't believe the Chinese had souls, il they
| did none worth saving" If a New England man
| had said that, would simply Opine that his soul
must be soIsmall mean and narrow that evenSatan
would not pick 1t up from the gutter" But since
| Mr. Pixley represented the municipality Of San
| Francisco, IL was 10 be expected Of him.
Now would not for mOWent have 1t under
stood that think it easy TO convert the average
| Chinaman. On the contrary, il is very hard. You
| China and made to run through the same sort Of
| mould through which every mind in the empire
has gone, or Is going. While in this country,
him wrong side out.
To overcome the first obstacle, secular educa-
ton is necessary, aud would advocate the estab-
ishment of night schools for the Chinese In places
where they are found In great numbers. To over
| come the second, an enlightened policy must be
pursued towards them, which cannot be expected
/ as long the ballot is denied them and politicians
| of both parties have no love for them. As an of
set to this the efforts OF benevolent Christian
men and women may accomplish something
through the Sunday schools and the missions.
can not urge too strongly the establishment of
missions and schools for my countrymen every
where. l need only bring forward the following
reasons in their support TO convince people Of the
usefulness OF such undertakings:
l.. They are an economical kind of missionary
work, the cost of running such a school and such
| mission being comparatively trihing Now, al
| though In the matter of selfsacrhce there ought
10 be no limit, yet, where the resources at hand
are not abundant Il is always desirable to observe
that maxim of political economy which says that
| we should strive to obtain the maximum of salts
| faction with the minimum OF sacrifice.
1 Ill tCOuOIul Vi cuOTb SUCH missionary WOfk
| possesses great advantages; especially true Is
| this of the Sunday school enterprise. The de-
mands which this kind OF work make on the
/ teachers time and attention are not excessive.
| and while there Is nothing to prevent any addi-
| ti0nal exertiOn which they may wish TO make
| only their leisure hours need be employed in
| 8. Moreover few qualifications are required of
| the workers They are not obliged to spend flye
or six years in learning the Chinese tongue. The
requirements are simply sterling common sense, n
| good knowledge Of the Bible and heart overflow
| ing with sympathy. For this reason, larger
supply Of teachers can be procured, and there are
| few ladies and gentlemen in the churches who do
not feel capable of doing something to further this
| good work.
4. The conditions here are comparatively fav-
| orable to success. Ii you only think of the OBJ
/ staces which missionaries have TO contend with
/ in China, you will understand what l mean
| There, jealous official class do all they dare to
| hamper the movements of the missionary. There
| friends. relatives and the community combine TO
| prosecute the proSelyte, forcing him TO shut his
| heart against what they consider to be heretical
/ doctrines. There. the naughty bearing of tor
eignerS with their superciliOus assumption OF
| superiority tends TO counterfeit the efforts of
| missionaries to inculcate the duty OF humility.
There the private life of the foreign traders does
/ not convince the Chinese that Christian nations
tbe gTeedness Of gain Of the so called CHRISTIAN
| governments and, especially of Great Britain, as
| shown in sher constant bleeding of helpless
nation by means of her opium monopoly, in def
| ance of humanity and of the law of love, makes
the natives exceedingly suspicious of the motives
| of foreigners and even of those who would do
| them good. But here, here, there is happily no
| official interference, no persecution, no naughty
| bearing of Christian people and DO systematic
| blood-sucking by means Of an enforced opium
| trade.
8. Another great advantage lies in the amount
| of good which Is incidentally done while the work
of converting them to Christianity is being carried
| on. Human nature being what it is it is quite
| necessary to have it understood that not only
| spiritual benefits, but also material and social
| benefits are to be gained by these who enter
| those schools and missions
6. But let none be discouraged or feel that
| they have accomplished nothing, when through
| them the word of God makes no impression On
| their pupils. Be not weary in doing good as you
| have opportunity for you may be casting bread
| upon the waters which some famshing soul may
| find after many days.
1t isn't eyeryone that can go to the Flowery
| Kingdom to proclaim the TRUTH to heal the sick
| or teach the ignorant But every one can be, in
| some measure, doing the Lords work here and
| devote small portion of his time in doing good
| TO those who need 1t most. That these men are
| peaceable, law-abidiDg and industrious, makes
their appeal for Christian help and protection es-
pecially effective and pathetic In so far as they
| are beset by enemies and lack the power to pro-
| tect themselves.
Here Secretary Powell mentioned an in
teresting incident connected with the Chinese
class in the church with which the Associa-
ton was now holding its meetings. That
class contributed money for the purchase of
a Communion service for the church. He
also stated that if American Christians